A bullet journal is basically a combination of a planner and a journal. But really, it’s not all limited to just those two. You can doodle on it or put some to-do lists, and many, many more! Aside from those, there are really a lot more benefits to having a bullet journal.

Bullet journal vs. planner

Firstly, let’s clear up the difference between these two since a lot of people think they’re similar. Bullet journals have blank or lined pages and don’t really have any specific format. That means you can just write and put whatever you want, however you want. Planners, on the other hand, are basically more organized.

It’s really easy

One reason why people don’t get into journaling is because they think it’s too much of a hassle. But bullet journaling is actually very easy. As said earlier, there’s no specific format as to how you should do your bullet journal. You can doodle all you want, design the pages all you want, write whatever, etc. You don’t even have to go all out with it as well! You can just put simple writings, lists, ideas, and whatever.

It helps with productivity

Another advantage of having a bullet journal is that you can organize your tasks for each day. Sometimes, when you don’t put your plans in paper, you’ll end up doing too much or not wanting to do anything at all. Naturally, this will hurt your productivity both in the short and the long-term. Having a bullet journal helps you put your tasks on paper and allows you to see your progress.

You’ll know what to prioritize

It’s obviously easy to write down your tasks for the day. But sometimes you might forget which ones are more important than others. As mentioned earlier, a bullet journal is still quite similar to a planner. You can be systematic with it and organize everything neatly. Then, you’ll see how much help this provides with getting your priorities done.

It can help you track your moods and habits

Your bullet journal can also help you with daily mindfulness and self-reflection. If you know the things that affect your mood, you’ll have an easier time getting over negative emotions. If you’re one of those Singaporeans who’s lacking sleep, you can also use your bullet journal to track your sleeping habits, for example. It can definitely help if you’re trying to get enough sleep every night.

It makes your life a lot simpler

Overall, you can see that bullet journals can make many things easier for yourself. Again, it increases your productivity because it keeps you organized. You’ll know what to prioritize hence you can finish a lot of work whether they’re important or not. And you can also use it for daily reflection and stress relief.

Schools in Singapore promote mathematics and problem-solving a lot. There are Olympiads for solving puzzles and etc. and a lot of kids from different schools take part as well. Solving puzzles isn’t only for kids as well. Solving puzzles can have a lot of positive benefits to the mind. Here are only some of them.

1.  Help us sharpen our problem-solving skills.

Doing puzzles help develop our ability to think creatively and critically to come up with solutions to the problem. There are also many ways to solve a puzzle and usually, trial and error is unavoidable and should be used. This can teach us to constantly change perspectives and use different angles when we make mistakes and also form more theories and strategies to approach the given problem.

2.  Improve focus and concentration

Solving a puzzle, crossword, jigsaw, or even a Rubik’s cube, takes a lot of concentration. When we constantly play practice and play puzzles, our minds can get used to focusing on the task at hand. We could get used to putting our mind into one thing and focusing on the task at hand. Our brain also boosts the production of dopamine while we work on puzzles. This helps improve our ability to concentrate on understanding the puzzles.

3.  Improve memory

Jigsaw puzzles, particularly, can help improve our memory. It trains our short-term memory because we try to recall what the complete image would look like if the puzzle is completed. We also use our memory to recollect the shapes and colors that would go together and form even just a part of the image. Improved memory also comes as a result of the growth of new nerve cells and the reestablished connections between our brain cells.

4.  Reduces the risk of degenerative disease

By regularly doing puzzles, we keep our brains active which means it’s kept healthy and will not likely be affected by diseases early. Again, this is because puzzles strengthen the connection of our brain cells. Doing puzzles have also been seen to be beneficial as we age. It has even been found that doing puzzles can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia, as both come as a result of old age.

5.  Success and relaxation

The feeling of success that you get after solving a really hard puzzle can be awesome. Even before finishing, puzzles can help clear your mind and relax. While you’re working on puzzles, most of the time you’ll be very immersed in it that you’ll end up ignoring your worries and all the stress. Puzzles promote relaxation because unlike a lot of games these days which are all fast-paced, a puzzle can always wait.